Upcoming Events

Loyola at a Glance

Diboll Gallery director's home included in National Building Museum exhibit

May 4, 2012

Throughout the history of the United States, the ever-changing concept of the American home has ranged from military barracks and two-story colonials to college dormitories and row houses. In an exploration of the varied history of these homes, the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. has embarked on the new exhibition, “House & Home.” A sweeping tour of houses both familiar and surprising through past and present, the exhibition features the new home of Karoline Schleh, director of the Collins C. Diboll Gallery at Loyola University New Orleans.

Designed by the award-winning New York-based firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates, “House & Home” presents a wide spectrum of artifacts, photographs, three-dimensional models and films to illustrate how transformations in technology, government policy and consumer culture have had an impact on American domestic life. The exhibit, organized thematically, juxtaposes objects, images and texts with interactive displays and films. Exhibition themes include: “Making a Home,” “Building a House,” “Home Economics,” “Welcome Home” and “From Home to Community.”

Schleh was contacted because the design firm was specifically looking to document an average day in the life of a family living in an URBANbuild or bildDESIGN project. Schleh’s house, one of two duplexes that form a compound in the Black Pearl neighborhood, was completed in 2012 and is one of six homes featured in the “Welcome Home” portion of the exhibit, which features a panoramic audio-visual presentation that takes visitors on a nationwide tour of 21st-century residential buildings.

“'House & Home' explores the idea that architecture and material culture can tell us complex stories about who we are, how we live and what we aspire to be,” said Chase W. Rynd, executive director of the National Building Museum. “By exploring the diverse history of America’s homes, we can better understand our society’s priorities and possibilities, and in turn, we can better understand ourselves.”

The Home Depot Foundation is the presenting sponsor of the exhibit, with additional support provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, among others. The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves.

Loyola at a Glance is written and distributed for the faculty, staff, students and friends of Loyola University New Orleans. It is published by the Office of Public Affairs, Greenville Hall, Box 909, 7214 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118. (504) 861-5888.

Information to be included in Loyola at a Glance must be received 2-3 weeks in advance of the publication date. Send us your news here.